Official Contest Rules

Entry in this Contest constitutes your acceptance of the following official rules (“Contest Rules”) between Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (the “Claims Conference”) and you (“Entrant”).

All submissions will be evaluated by the Claims Conference staff. The finalists will be evaluated by a historian before being judged by a panel of film professionals (“Judges”).  A winner (“Winner”) will be chosen by the Judges among the top five finalists (“Finalists”).  The Winner will be awarded a Sixty Thousand Dollar (60,000) cash prize (“Prize”) to make a short film (the “Film”) based on the originally submitted screenplay or treatment.

No entry fee or purchase is required to enter the Contest. No purchase or donation made by any Entrant in connection with the Contest enhances such Entrant’s chances of winning the Contest.  Entry is void where prohibited by law.

A. Entrant Eligibility Requirements

1. Entrant must be the director of the proposed film project submitted for consideration.
2. Entrants must be eighteen (18) years of age or over as of the date of Contest entry.  All parties involved in the proposed film project and its production, with the exception of actors, must be at least eighteen (18) years of age as of the date of Contest entry.
3. Entrant must be an emerging filmmaker. For the purpose of this contest, Claims Conference defines emerging as filmmakers who have not completed more than one feature film and whose previous work has been publicly screened at least once.
4. Entrant must have internet access as of the date of entry.
5. Officers, employees, directors, associates and advisors of the Claims Conference and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter the Contest.
6. Entrant’s proposed film project must have at least one producer attached at the time of entry. In the event that there is only one producer, the director and producer cannot be the same person. If there is more than one director, one of the directors may be the producer.
7. Entrant may submit up to two screenplays or treatments for consideration, each subject to the Contest Rules.  In the event that Entrant submits more than two screenplays or treatments, the Claims Conference will accept only two entries.
8. Entrants agree to be bound by these Contest Rules and by the decisions of the Claims Conference, which are final with respect to all matters relating to the Contest.
9. Entrant may withdraw from the Contest at any time.

B. Film Project Eligibility Requirements

1. Both narrative and documentary film projects are eligible for entry.
2. Entry must not be a work for hire.
3. Entry cannot be a film already in production. For a documentary project, no more than 20% can be shot.
4. The screenplay or treatment submitted must be about the Holocaust, primarily focused on the persecution of Jews by the Nazis and/or their collaborators, or its consequences.
5. Screenplays, which are required for narrative films, must not exceed twenty (20) pages and must be in standard industry screenplay format. Treatments, which are required for documentary films, must not exceed five (5) pages.
6. All screenplays must be original work.  No adaptations will be permitted unless the work adapted is either already in the public domain or is the screenwriter’s own original work in a format such as a short story, play or novel or if Entrant can demonstrate that the rights to the underlying material has already been acquired. 
7. The screenwriter can be an individual other than the director or producer. If the Entrant is not the screenwriter, the screenwriter must agree to disclaimers and releases by executing the Screenwriter’s Release (see application materials for further details).
8. Screenplays written by more than one person are eligible for Contest entry, subject to the Contest Rules, and as long as each screenwriter signs the Screenwriter’s Release.
9. Screenplays optioned by any individual or entity other than the director and/or producer are not eligible for contest entry.
10. The total budget of the Film may exceed the Prize amount ($60,000) as long as the necessary additional funds have been secured and documentation of the commitment of such funds is provided by the time a winner is announced. Note, additional funds may not come from public authorities in Germany.
11. Once completed, the Film must not exceed twenty (20) minutes in length (including credits).
12. The Film can be in a language other than English as long as it has English subtitles.
13. To be eligible to win the Prize, entries must be completed and received by the Claims Conference in the manner described below.
14. The Claims Conference reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject the entry of any Entrant that may expose the Claims Conference to any liability in any country or which might expose it to reputational risk.

C. Disclaimer/Release

1. By participating in the Contest, Entrant agrees to and does release and hold harmless the Judges, the Claims Conference, the German Ministry of Finance, Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future,” each social media platform on which the Contest may be promoted (including, without limitation, Facebook),  and each of their respective directors, officers, advisors, employees, affiliates, agencies, successors, assigns, and any other persons involved with the funding, development and operation of the Contest (together, the “Released Parties”) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out, in whole or in part, of participation in the Contest or receipt or use of the Prize.  The Released Parties are not responsible for:  (a) any late, lost, misrouted, garbled, distorted, or damaged transmissions or entries; (b) telephone, electronic, hardware, software, network, Internet, or other computer or communications-related malfunctions or failures; (c) any Contest disruptions, injuries, losses or damages caused by events beyond the control of the Claims Conference or by non-authorized human intervention; (d) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the Contest; (e) injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, by Entrant’s participation in the Contest or receipt or use of Prize; or (f) violation of any intellectual property rights, rights of publicity, privacy and defamation rights.  Entrant waives the right to claim any damages whatsoever from the Released Parties, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.
2. The Contest website (“Website”) is provided “as is” and “as available.”  The Claims Conferences does not warrant the adequacy of the Website and expressly disclaims liability for errors or omissions in any materials posted to or through the Website.  No warranty of any kind, express, implied or statutory, including, without limitation, any warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement of third-party rights or freedom from viruses or other code defects, is made by the Claims Conference in connection with the Website.  In no event shall the Released Parties have any liability to the Entrant for damages of any kind, including, without limitation, direct or indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages, losses or expenses (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) arising out of the Entrant’s transmission of communications through the Website.
3. Entrant agrees that it is his/her/their sole responsibility to obtain all permissions and releases necessary for the use of third-party materials contained in or submitted with the Entry Form.

D. Contest Period

1. The Contest starts at 12:00 PM ET on May 1st, 2024 and ends at 11:59 PM ET on June 17th, 2024 June 25th, 2024 (the “Contest Period”).  All entries must be received during the Contest Period to be eligible to win the Prize.
2. The Finalists will be announced on the Website on or around September 15th, 2024. The Finalists will also be notified by email.
3. The Winner will be notified by email on or around October 1st, 2024.
4. The Film must be completed and delivered to the Claims Conference by October 1st, 2025  (the “Completion Date”) along with a trailer (“Trailer”) for the Film, not exceeding ten percent (10%) of the total running time of the Film, and 10 high resolution stills.

E. How to Enter/Entry Requirements

1. To enter the Contest, take the following steps during the Contest Period:
   1. Read the Contest Rules and access the online contest entry form (“Entry Form”) https://claimsconference.fluxx.io/
   2. Fill out the Entry Form and attach all required documents listed on the Entry Form, including screenplay or treatment, detailed film budget with all development, production and post-production costs (“Budget”), proof of secured funding (if applicable), Screenwriter’s Release (if applicable), director resume and producer resume. All documents must be submitted in PDF format.
2. All narrative film entries must include a screenplay in compliance with the Contest Rules. Treatments will not be accepted in lieu of screenplays for narrative film entries.
3. All written submission materials must be in English.  If the Film will be in a language other than English, Entrant must submit the English translation of the screenplay or treatment along with the original language version.
4. Entrant must submit at least one completed and publicly screened original short or feature film, for which Entrant served as a director, as director’s prior work sample by attaching it to the Entry Form in the form of an online link. No DVDs or hard drives will be accepted. All work samples must be in English or have English subtitles.
5. An entry into the Contest consists of Entrant’s completed online Entry Form. All requested information, links and documents must be provided with the Entry Form for the entry to be valid.
6. All entries are considered final and cannot be resubmitted. No substitutions of screenplay or treatment drafts, corrected pages or budgets will be considered thereafter. Entrant must notify Claims Conference of any substantial change in their project including changes in story or team.
7. By entering the Contest, Entrant warrants that he/she/they has supplied truthful and accurate information in his/her/their Entry Form.  False statements may result in the disqualification of the entry or suspension of the disbursement of the Prize.  Entrant also declares that he/she/they is authorized to submit to the Contest, and his/her/their entry and use of the screenplay or treatment does not infringe, misappropriate, or otherwise violate the rights of publicity, rights of privacy, defamation rights, copyright, trademark, trade dress, or other intellectual property rights of any third parties.
8. Entrant is prohibited from incorporating into the Entry Form any unlawful, threatening, libelous, defamatory, inflammatory, or pornographic material or any material that would constitute or encourage conduct that would be considered a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any law or which might otherwise damage the reputation of the Claims Conference.  Such information or materials will result in Entrant’s disqualification from the Contest.
9. If Entrant is selected as a finalist, Entrant will be required to submit a pitch video to the Claims Conference no longer than three minutes introducing themselves, the project and the artistic vision for the project.
10. Entrant acknowledges that the Contest is not sponsored by Facebook or any other social media platform on which it may be posted or promoted

F. Judging Criteria

In order to determine the Finalists and a Winner, entries will be evaluated by the Judges and the Claims Conference staff based on creativity, vision, planning and historical accuracy.  In utilizing these criteria, the Judges will consider the following factors, among others:

1. Does the film present aspects of the Holocaust in a compelling manner?
2. Is production of the film feasible given the resources provided and the creative team?
3. Does the film’s content correspond to accepted historical accounts?
4. The judges will also take into consideration the quality of the Entrant’s prior work as a director submitted with the Contest entry as well as the Entrant’s pitch video.

The judging panel will consist of film industry professionals. The Judges’ credentials will be disclosed on the Website.

G. The Prize

1. A cash prize in the amount of Sixty Thousand Dollars ($60,000) will be awarded to the Winner for the production of the Film. The Prize is not transferrable. No substitutions or exchanges of the Prize will be permitted.
2. Additionally, Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000) may be awarded to the winner to support the development and distribution of the project at the discretion of the Claims Conference.
3. Each finalist will receive a prize of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000).
4. The Claims Conference reserves the right to pay the Prize at times and in installments in its sole discretion.
5. In order to be eligible to receive the Prize, Winner must agree to the terms and conditions of the Winner’s Contract, including the relevant Releases, to be provided by the Claims Conference.  Winner is responsible for providing current contact or any other necessary information for Prize redemption purposes.
6. All prize payments will be made in USD.
7. The value of the Prize may be reported for tax purposes as required by law.  Winner will be solely responsible for all applicable federal, state, local, and foreign taxes.  Winner will be required to complete (and enable the Claims Conference to complete) any required tax documentation prior to receipt of the Prize.  Winner should consult his/her/their own tax consultant.
8. The Claims Conference reserves the right to terminate the Contest or not award the Prize to any of the entrants. The Claims Conference also reserves the right to change the amount of the Prize and/or divide the Prize between two or more entrants.
9. Winner shall not revise, change, alter or modify the screenplay or treatment or Budget without the prior written approval of the Claims Conference, which it may withhold in its sole discretion. Such unauthorized changes may result in the forfeiting of the Prize.
10. In the event the Film is not completed and/or not delivered to the Claims Conference by the Completion Date, Winner shall immediately return the Prize in cash, unless an extension was previously approved in writing by the Claims Conference.
11. The Claims Conference also reserves the right to withhold payment of the Prize to the Winner and to award the Prize to a Finalist not originally chosen to be Winner if the Film is not completed and/or delivered pursuant to the Entry requirements, is inconsistent with the Claims Conference’s purposes or its governing documents, or conflicts with any other laws or regulations to which the Claims Conference is subject.  Such determinations will be made by the Claims Conference in its sole discretion.

H. Additional Rights and Responsibilities

1. Winner retains ownership of the Film, but the Claims Conference shall have a non-exclusive license to use the Film and all other submission materials  in connection with its non-profit activities. The Claims Conference shall use reasonable efforts to ensure that such use does not interfere with the Winner’s efforts to exploit and distribute the Film commercially.
2. In addition to retaining the right to exploit and distribute the Film, Winner shall use his/her/their best efforts to explore such exploitation and distribution opportunities for the Film worldwide.  The Winner shall be solely responsible for all distribution costs associated with the Film, except for any additional support that may be provided by the Claims Conference.
3. The Claims Conference shall have no claim to any awards or prizes won at film festivals or contests worldwide in relation to the Film.
4. The Claims Conference has the right to use the pitch video, trailer and stills on its website, social media outlets and for any other promotional opportunities at any time in its sole discretion and to permit third parties to do the same.
5. The Claims Conference will have the right to post the Film on its website at any time following three years after the Completion Date.
6. The Claims Conference shall endeavor to refrain from sharing entry materials with anyone except the Judges. For the avoidance of doubt, Entrant will defend, indemnify and hold the Released Parties harmless from any claims and liabilities of third parties related to use and/or misappropriation of entry materials of any Entrant.
7. All personal data submitted on the Contest website will be safe and secure, and used by the Claims Conference only in connection with the Contest. By entering this Contest, Entrant consents to the collection, use, storage and distribution of his/her/their personal information, including without limitation his/her/their name, address, telephone number, and email address by the Claims Conference, in reference to all matters related to this Contest.
8. Entrant grants the Claims Conference permission to use his/her/their name, image, and other information in connection with the Contest including for promotional purposes without further permission or compensation.
9. The Claims Conference reserves the right, in its sole discretion, immediately and without notice, to suspend or terminate these Contest Rules and/or Entrant’s ability to access the Contest, for any reason including any breach by Entrant of these Contest Rules or conduct by Entrant that the Claims Conference determines inappropriate.

I. Miscellaneous

1. The Contest and these Contest Rules will be governed, construed, and interpreted under applicable U.S. laws and the laws of the State of New York.
2. The Claims Conference reserves the right to change these Contest Rules at any time, in its sole discretion, and to suspend, cancel, postpone or extend the Contest or any entrant’s participation in the Contest should viruses, bugs, unauthorized human intervention, or other causes beyond the Claims Conference’s control affect the administration, security, or proper play of the Contest or the Claims Conference otherwise becomes (as determined in its sole discretion) incapable of running the Contest as planned.
3. Entrants who violate these Contest Rules, violate any law, rule, or regulation in connection with participation in the Contest, tamper with the operation of the Contest, or engage in any conduct that is detrimental or unfair to the Claims Conference, the Contest, or any other entrant (in each case, as determined by the Claims Conference in its sole discretion), are subject to disqualification from entry into the Contest and/or will forfeit the Prize.  CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT OR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, THE CLAIMS CONFERENCE AND ITS AGENTS RESERVE THE RIGHT TO PROSECUTE SUCH PERSON AND/OR SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW.
4. The executive offices of the Claims Conference are located at 1359 Broadway, New York, NY 10018.
5. The Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.  Void where prohibited by law.